Young guns steal the spotlight at Flicker Promotions’ LaTexan Lasso

From Landyn Wright and Leah Hughes battling for Friday’s $20K to Cory Gulitti claiming the Big Texan, Caden Meuth making Flicker Promotions history and Bode Bennett finishing the job Sunday, the next generation made its presence known in Texas.

ENNIS, TX – Flicker Promotions brought the LaTexan Lasso back to Texas Motorplex for another Labor Day weekend packed with big money, tough competition and plenty of memorable moments. But when the dust settled in Ennis, it was bracket racing’s young guns who had stolen the show.

The weekend began Wednesday with the Bennett Enterprises $1K Practice Tree Race, where Bryan Bennett picked up the first win of the event.

On Thursday, Kurtis Stevenson kicked off the on-track action with a victory in the Warm-Up, defeating Kyle Cultrera in the final round. The No-Box side came down to an all-Kansas matchup, with Kyle Miller taking the win over Carson Wheeler.

Then came Friday — and the start of a youth movement in the winner’s circle.

Young gun Landyn Wright battled his way through the field to claim the first $20,000 payday of the weekend, defeating Leah Hughes in the final round. The pair made it an all-youth final as two of bracket racing’s rising talents squared off for the big check.

Luke Vinson earned Friday’s No-Box victory and made his run even more impressive by carrying his entry deep into Super Pro, advancing all the way to the semifinals.

The young guns weren’t finished. Saturday belonged entirely to Caden Meuth!

The young Texan accomplished something no racer had done before at a Flicker Promotions event, wheeling both of his entries through the $20K field and ultimately securing both sides of the final round. Meuth’s win-and-runner-up sweep earned him the $20,000 payday and a place in Flicker Promotions history. Caden did so in impressive fashion, with his last eight reaction times being .005, .010, .002, .015, .010, .001, .000, and .004. A amazing performance for an unforgettable night for Caden!

The No-Box final kept things in the family. Kyle Miller returned to the winner’s circle for his second No-Box victory of the weekend, this time defeating his stepdad, Jared Steadman, in the final round.

Cory Gulitti stepped into the spotlight for the inaugural Big Texan, working his way through the exclusive field before defeating Anthony Livengood in the final round to capture the marquee $50K victory.

By Sunday, one final $20,000 check remained — and another young gun was ready to claim it.

Bode Bennett closed out the weekend with the final $20K victory, defeating Chad Sandlin in the last Super Pro final of the LaTexan Lasso. Drew Porcher collected the final No-Box win over Carson Wheeler, who capped off an impressive weekend with his second runner-up finish.

The young talent continued in the Jr. Dragster ranks, with Holden Pavlock defeating Cash Branum on Saturday and Landon Graves taking Sunday’s win over Cash Pennington. Corbin Pennington and Easton Rader earned the 6-9 bonus wins Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

From Landyn Wright and Leah Hughes battling for Friday’s $20K to Cory Gulitti claiming the Big Texan, Caden Meuth making Flicker Promotions history and Bode Bennett finishing the job Sunday, the next generation made its presence known in Texas.

The LaTexan Lasso featured plenty of talent from top to bottom, but this year, the young guns took the big checks — and they left little doubt that bracket racing’s future is already here!

An avid racer herself, Megan Strassweg, 28, sees her two worlds collide with DragChamp – journalism and drag racing. Megan resides in Evansville, IN, and she pilots a 2015 American Dragster in the NHRA North Central Division 3 Super Comp series, along with some local bracket racing on the side. Her passion for racing began early, having grown up at the racetrack, and she remains committed to the sport. When she’s not racing, you can find her working at WDRB News as a Digital Producer, playing with her two dogs – Clutch and Goose, or spending time with her friends and family.

You can reach Megan on Facebook or email at megan@dragchamp.com